turbojimmy
Supporting Member
- Joined
- May 26, 2001
- Messages
- 5,560
I went to BJ's (as in the 'wholesale club', like a Sam's Club, or Costco, whatever) with my brother today to get some normal rear tires for his Turbo T. The tire place, aka "Tuffy Service Center" is hanging off of the BJ's store. We park outside the bays and walk in. I noticed there was a bunch of people hanging out around a new Explorer with dubs and a booming sound system in one of the bays. Not a good sign.
It turns out that they were employees. Evidently they've let the whole uniform thing slide. Just a bunch of dudes in street clothes wrenching on cars. I couldn't tell who worked there an who didn't.
We go inside with my 4-year-old son and there's this ultra gory, un-edited shoot-em-up show on the satellite-fed TV. I shut the TV off, which got someone's attention. We ask for tires, he says we have to go in the store. It's raining and it's a LONG walk around the massive warehouse to the front of the store. But there's a door from the shop into the store. But the door only opens with a key from the other side. You ring a bell. The guy rings the bell a few times. No one opens the door. The guy gives up and walks away leaving me, my brother and my son standing there. I use my BJ's membership card to jimmy the locked door. It was deserted on the other side. No one was coming to open it.
We pay for stock sized tires for the T and give the guy the keys to the car. It's 1:15. We wander around for a while, eat some junk and head back for the door to the shop. It's locked from BOTH sides. I could card it but I figured I'd give the whole bell thing a shot. I ring. And ring and ring. No one comes. I card through and there's a guy standing on the other side. Evidently there's no keys on the shop side. He looked perplexed but didn't say anything. The guy from the store side comes in and says "how did those guys get through the door". The guy in the shop said "I dunno they just walked through". He asked me and I said I tugged on it and it opened. He didn't believe me but couldn't prove otherwise. He checked out the lock, gave me the stink eye and went away. He came back later with a manager and security but they couldn't figure it out either. That was entertaining for about half an hour.
At 2:15 I start to wonder what the hell is going on. I hadn't seen a car leave those bays since we pulled up. The Turbo T had been in there for over an hour. There's an army of guys in there but evidently none could mount and balance tires. There were plenty of hoodlums coming and going and hanging out in the bays, but not much work going on.
Eventually one of the guys comes in and starts BSing with my brother. He noticed the Regal was a turbo. This guy has a WRX, says he ran a 12.9 with it last week. I said what'd you do to it. He says nothing - bone stock '04. Sensing BS, I wanted to walk away but my brother had to ask what he trapped. 140 MPH he says. My brother said "no, not top speed - what MPH did you run with the 12.9 ET. Again, the answer is 140. mmmmm - k. He runs at Island. I told him we're going tomorrow (we are) and he should come. Turns out he's working - bummer. Then some other dude comes in and says "how many times you change the oil cooler lines on that thing?". I say never, my brother says once. He says "yep, they're a big problem on those cars. You gotta let 'em idle for 10 minutes before you shut 'em down because the oil pressure is so high. Lines swell and leak.". THIS GUY IS A "MECHANIC".
I couldn't get out of there quick enough, which turned out to be 2:45 PM. The car was in the bay with the wheels off of it for 1 1/2 hours to mount and balance 2 tires.
The tires were cheap, but time isn't and it cost us way more to buy tires there than had we just gone to the highest priced guy in town.
Jim
It turns out that they were employees. Evidently they've let the whole uniform thing slide. Just a bunch of dudes in street clothes wrenching on cars. I couldn't tell who worked there an who didn't.
We go inside with my 4-year-old son and there's this ultra gory, un-edited shoot-em-up show on the satellite-fed TV. I shut the TV off, which got someone's attention. We ask for tires, he says we have to go in the store. It's raining and it's a LONG walk around the massive warehouse to the front of the store. But there's a door from the shop into the store. But the door only opens with a key from the other side. You ring a bell. The guy rings the bell a few times. No one opens the door. The guy gives up and walks away leaving me, my brother and my son standing there. I use my BJ's membership card to jimmy the locked door. It was deserted on the other side. No one was coming to open it.
We pay for stock sized tires for the T and give the guy the keys to the car. It's 1:15. We wander around for a while, eat some junk and head back for the door to the shop. It's locked from BOTH sides. I could card it but I figured I'd give the whole bell thing a shot. I ring. And ring and ring. No one comes. I card through and there's a guy standing on the other side. Evidently there's no keys on the shop side. He looked perplexed but didn't say anything. The guy from the store side comes in and says "how did those guys get through the door". The guy in the shop said "I dunno they just walked through". He asked me and I said I tugged on it and it opened. He didn't believe me but couldn't prove otherwise. He checked out the lock, gave me the stink eye and went away. He came back later with a manager and security but they couldn't figure it out either. That was entertaining for about half an hour.
At 2:15 I start to wonder what the hell is going on. I hadn't seen a car leave those bays since we pulled up. The Turbo T had been in there for over an hour. There's an army of guys in there but evidently none could mount and balance tires. There were plenty of hoodlums coming and going and hanging out in the bays, but not much work going on.
Eventually one of the guys comes in and starts BSing with my brother. He noticed the Regal was a turbo. This guy has a WRX, says he ran a 12.9 with it last week. I said what'd you do to it. He says nothing - bone stock '04. Sensing BS, I wanted to walk away but my brother had to ask what he trapped. 140 MPH he says. My brother said "no, not top speed - what MPH did you run with the 12.9 ET. Again, the answer is 140. mmmmm - k. He runs at Island. I told him we're going tomorrow (we are) and he should come. Turns out he's working - bummer. Then some other dude comes in and says "how many times you change the oil cooler lines on that thing?". I say never, my brother says once. He says "yep, they're a big problem on those cars. You gotta let 'em idle for 10 minutes before you shut 'em down because the oil pressure is so high. Lines swell and leak.". THIS GUY IS A "MECHANIC".
I couldn't get out of there quick enough, which turned out to be 2:45 PM. The car was in the bay with the wheels off of it for 1 1/2 hours to mount and balance 2 tires.
The tires were cheap, but time isn't and it cost us way more to buy tires there than had we just gone to the highest priced guy in town.
Jim
